AN~ I started my mom on the books! She's on book 4 now...
This is going to be semi-hiatus for a while. I have 7 chapters I want to get up before I put up this next one, I'll try to get them up fast, but I can't promise anything. I'll try to update at least once a week!

Grimmgulr4lyf3: What is a Nudge Cookie?

Rainbowofsmiles: Not a chance. Because... well, you'll see why.

*See spider in my hundred challenge for more detail on Bella.

The next day, Bella decided to search out Sabrina. Being shunned was not particularly fun, and she had something really important to tell the family. She had considered just telling the people who did believe her, mainly Mrs. Grimm and Red, but Granny had told her it was better to wait until at least half the family trusted her; after all, there wasn't much point in warning people who weren't going to believe you.

So she decided that she would make Sabrina believe her, whatever it took.

This wasn't as easy as she'd thought it would be, though. Sabrina was remarkably hard to pin down, especially alone. She'd wanted to talk while she was doing her makup the other morning, but the little girls had been there, which killed that privacy. Then later, she'd been folding laundry, and just as Bella came up, Puck had gone in and started helping her.

And it went on from there. Every time she found her, someone got in the way- usually Puck, Bella had been surprised to note. Maybe things had changed since they were in school. It had been over a year, after all. But they still argued. Argued quite a bit, actually. Half the conversations ended in shouted insults or bright red faces, with the two teen storming off in opposite directions.

Now, though! She was alone for once, sitting on the couch in the living room with two journals in her hands. She was alternating between reading one and writing notes in the other.

"Umm..." Bella said.

Sabrina looked up, startled. "Oh, shoot." She muttered, hurriedly gathering up her things, prepared to head for the porch roof.

"Wait-" Bella called, grabbing Sabrina's arm.

"Can't I be alone for one minute?" Sabrina asked irritably.

"No." Bella snapped back.

"I haven't been alone all day, and I really do not want to any of my limited time with you, so-" Sabrina continued, attempting to wrench her arm out of Bella's grip.

Bella held on tightly. "Look. I know you hate me. I get that. But hear me out, OK?"

Sabrina stopped. There was something in Bella's voice- "Fine. I'll give you five minutes, then you leave."

"Umm... I'm sleeping here, remember?" Bella pointed out.

"Then I'll leave." Sabrina sighed exasperatedly. "What's the world coming to? Can't get some peace and quiet in your own living room... Plus, I was here first."

"Can I talk now?" Bella asked.

"I'd rather you didn't." Sabrina said.

"Too bad." Bella started her story. "So, you know how lived with Rumplestiltskin, Natalie and Toby when I was younger?"

Sabrina nodded.

"Well, I'm terrified of spiders. When Toby found out, he used it in any way he could. He and Natalie were evil from the beginning, they didn't need anyone else to help them along. I guess I can understand it, with their family histories and all. Natalie's dad has one of the worst tempers in town, and he's pretty heartless. Miss Muppet, well... she's just crazy. I, as Rumplestiltskin put it... needed convincing. I honestly didn't want to be evil, I wanted to be nice, you know?

''And when I met you... well, I wanted to help you; be your friend- goodness knows you needed one. But they said no. And with the spiders-" Bella broke of with a shudder. "Do you know what it's like, being threatened with your worst fear? I had to do it. I'm a pretty good actress, if I do say so myself. Now my parents are in the Hand, I could join them, but I'm free of the spiders. Nobody can make me stay now."

Sabrina blinked. "I almost believe you."

Bella relaxed.

"But now quite." Sabrina said. "There's something you're not telling me."

"No there isn't." Bella said.

Sabrina blinked. Wehn Bella had said that, her face had flashed bright red. Somehow, Sabrina was sure it meant she was lying. "Yes there is."

"Is not." Bella's face turned that unnatural shade of red again.

"Bella, I can tell you're lying." Sabrina said, realizing it was true, and more than that, that she could probably tell when anyone was lying, the same thing she'd talked with Puck about earlier. "Come on, spill."

"But-" Bella's face was blushing in a more normal fashion this time. "And how can you tell?"

"Just a talent I have. Tell."

"But, but-"

"Bella, you want me to trust you. How do you expect me to do that if you won't tell the whole story?"

"All right." Bella sighed in defeat. "Well, growing up here, there weren't many other everafter kids. Basically it was just us and Wendell. And with all the other kids moving around so much, I only got to know the other everafter's children. Toby and Natalie are basically a guranteed pair, I was the outsider. So was Wendell. So-" Bella broke off.

Sabrina was staring at her wit ha look of amazement. "You- you like Wendell, don't you?"

Bella blushed scarlet. "Yeah..."

"All right. I believe you." Sabrina said.

"You do?" Bella asked. "Why?"

"Something Granny told me once. 'Love can make a hero out of anyone,' or something like that." She paused.

"Thanks." Bella said.

"No problem." Sabrina said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got something to think about."

She left the room, and Bella laid down on the couch, happy for the first time in days.